Democrats See Gold in Limbaugh's 'Slut' Controversy

Democrats say they're really mad about Rush Limbaugh's slut controversy, but it sure is useful to them. Obama reelection adviser David Axelrod did his part to keep the story alive on Wednesday, asking reporters that if Mitt Romney can't stand up to Limbaugh, "how can he stand up to Ahmadinejad?" Axelrod continued, "How are you going to stand up to the challenges of the presidency? These are tests. Presidential campaigns are tests... The Limbaugh thing was a test of leadership, and you have them all the time, and Mitt Romney has failed those tests in the campaign." They might sound appalled by Limbaugh's comments, but they're bringing in the donations, for both prominent politicians and local ones. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has raised money off the Limbaugh outrage. So has Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, whose mother wrote to supporters that Republicans were engaging in a "war on women." New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Washington Sen. Patty Murray have all asked for donations to, in Murray's case, "help me fight back even harder against this outrageous agenda." Former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings, who's running for Congress in Florida, sent a message to supporters condemning Limbaugh's remarks and asking for donations. Methinks thou doth outrage too much.

But there's a counter-outrage effort coming. Conservatives have protested all week that liberal Bill Maher says sexist and offensive things about female Republicans all the time without stirring up outrage. Now there's a tie to Democrats: on Wednesday, The Daily Caller reported the Alabama Democratic Party has asked Maher to appear at its fundraiser March 17, "amid calls by President Barack Obama and other Democrats for greater civility in public debate."

News reports are focusing on the Germanwings pilot's possible depression, following a familiar script in the wake of mass killings. But the evidence shows violence is extremely rare among the mentally ill.